Year 2010

A2K4 Conference To Address IP And Human Rights

The fourth Access to Knowledge conference (A2K4) hosted by the Yale Law School Information Society Project in New Haven, Connecticut (US) will take place on 11-13 February. The event will be streamed live on video here, and will focus on…

Year Ahead Copyright 2010: Between An Enforcement “Gold Standard” And Stronger Limitations

The secretly negotiated Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is now in centre stage in the global debates around copyright, as is a prospective new international treaty on access to online books for the visually impaired which comes as part of a broader push to clarify limitations and exceptions to copyright. But some are asking, why all the debate and new efforts in national and international copyright legislation when copyright is increasing being exchanged for contractual relationships?

EPO To Elect President In Extraordinary Session

The European Patent Organisation will hold an extraordinary session this week in Munich to try once again to find a replacement for current President Alison Brimelow. At meetings in October and December 2009, none of the then four applicants (IPW,…

WIPO Committee Discusses Boosting Client-Patent Adviser Secrecy

A key committee focused on patent law at the World Intellectual Property Organization in seeking to establish its new work programme last week discussed a proposal to better protect the confidentiality of information passed between patent advisers and their clients. But the meeting ended in no decision, and the issue is expected to come up again when the patent committee next meets in October 2010.

African Plant Extract Freed From German Patent

The European Patent Office’s recent revocation of a German company’s patent on a plant extract is being seen by some as a step toward fighting biopiracy related to intellectual property rights. In its 26 January decision, the EPO considered the…

ACTA Negotiators Report No Breakthroughs On Transparency

Offering no details - as is their standard - government negotiators for a global anticounterfeiting treaty yesterday declared a commitment to try to find ways to increase transparency and inclusion of public input in the secretive talks. But they stopped short of actually committing to increasing transparency and inclusion.